Chapter 10: In Hand

“Your wife has been married for two years, and she still gives her salary to her parents’ home. She doesn’t care about our family at all. Why shouldn’t I get my bride price back?!” Wu Zhiqiu continued, her voice a bit loud. The security guard glanced at them several times.

“Mom, what are you doing? Talking about this at my workplace, do you want to ruin me?” The eldest son pulled Wu Zhiqiu, questioning her.

“Do I want to ruin you by demanding my bride price? Didn’t your wife ruin you by giving all her earnings to her parents’ home?  Do I want to ruin you by asking for my own money?”

“Mom, there’s no such thing as asking for the bride price back after it’s been given! Won’t people laugh at us?”

“I’ve already explained my reasons for wanting the bride price back. First, your wife disrespected me, her mother-in-law, by pointing her finger and scolding me! Second, your wife has been married for so many years, and she hasn’t given a single cent to her husband’s family, yet she gives all her salary to her parents’ home. Third, after your mother was scolded, you, my son, remained indifferent and firmly stood by your wife’s side, hurting your mother’s heart! Therefore, from now on, I don’t recognize that daughter-in-law of mine, and she shouldn’t come to our home anymore. Return the eight hundred yuan of bride price to me today!”

“Mom, can you stop making a fuss? Didn’t I agree to give half my salary to the family?” The eldest son rubbed his temples.

“You give your salary to the family because we supported your studies for so many years; it’s your repayment! It’s what you should do!” Wu Zhiqiu was simply being unreasonable! She regretted giving the bride price to this ungrateful son! Now, taking advantage of yesterday’s incident, she wanted the money back!

The eldest son had given eight hundred yuan as a bride price at his wedding, emptying his family’s savings and borrowing from relatives and friends. He still owed two hundred yuam to Wu Zhiqiu’s parents’ home!

That’s why Wu Zhiqiu was so desperate to get the money back! Was his wife even worth eight hundred yuan as a bride price? She must have been out of her mind last time, that ungrateful girl dared to ask, and she actually gave it!

“Mom!” The eldest son helplessly called out.

“Don’t waste your breath, just say yes or no. If you don’t give it to me, I’ll go to your wife’s workplace today and ask around. Is there any daughter-in-law who dares to scold her mother-in-law? Which daughter-in-law, after getting married, still takes money from her husband’s family and gives it all to her parents’ home? Which family keeps the bride price after their daughter gets married? Eight hundred yuam as a bride price, even if you were marrying the daughter of the Bureau Chief, they wouldn’t dare ask for such a high bride price!”

Wu Zhiqiu didn’t care about anything else now. Rather than wasting her energy, she might as well go crazy. Since she regretted giving eight hundred yuan as a bride price, she would find a way to get it back!

“Mom, if you go to Wang Yue’s workplace to make a scene, how will she work?”

“I’m trying to talk it over with you first. If you don’t listen, don’t blame me, I don’t care if you can work or not! I’m starving, waiting for this money! Do you know how much debt we have at home?”

Without waiting for her eldest son’s reply, Wu Zhiqiu started counting on her fingers.

From when he started high school, to his university tuition and living expenses, to his monthly accommodation and textbook fees…etc.

Wu Zhiqiu’s mouth foamed, every expense was clear in her mind.

The eldest son’s eyes were wide with shock, his head buzzing. He never knew his mother had such a good memory; she even remembered money spent ten years ago clearly.

Wu Zhiqiu’s voice wasn’t low; the passing colleagues all glanced their way.

“Mom, I understand. When I have the money, I’ll give you the bride price, okay?” The eldest son’s tone was almost pleading.

Wu Zhiqiu wiped her mouth. “No, we still owe over five hundred yuan in debt. You’ve been working for two years, and I haven’t seen a single copper coin from you. You must give me the eight hundred yuan today!”

“Didn’t I agree to give you half my salary?” The eldest son wondered why his mother was so difficult these days. Before, she was most afraid of affecting his work and never came to his workplace.

Was it just because Wang Yue scolded her yesterday, and he didn’t speak up for his mother? Was it necessary? They weren’t children, they were family, it wasn’t intentional, was it necessary to make such a fuss?

The eldest son resented his mother’s unreasonableness. He must talk to his grandmother when he went back home!

“Eldest son, don’t beat around the bush with me. Just say whether you’ll return the bride price or not!” Wu Zhiqiu had the air of someone ready to cause a scene at Wang Yue’s workplace if he refused.

Wu Zhiqiu didn’t believe the couple had no money. The eldest son earned sixty or seventy a month, and although Wang Yue gave her salary to her parents’ home, they ate and lived at the workplace. She didn’t believe they had no money!

“Mom, I’ll return it! But I don’t have it on me right now, can we wait a bit?” The eldest son just wanted to get rid of Wu Zhiqiu quickly, then immediately return to the village and bring his grandparents, to see how she would still demand the money!

Wu Zhiqiu extended her hand. “Give me the money! I don’t believe you don’t have any. If you really don’t, I’ll go to your unit leader and ask for an advance on your salary for a year!” She was determined to get the money, striking while the iron was hot; too many variables, this time she had to succeed.

“Are you crazy? Are you still my mother?” The eldest son’s face flushed with anger.

“You can disown me as your mother, but before that, return the money to me! Eight hundred yuan as a bride price, plus the accounts I just calculated, at least three or four thousand, a total of five thousand. Return it to me; it doesn’t matter if you disown me as your mother!”

“In your eyes, I’m only worth five thousand yuan?” The eldest son looked hurt.

“In my eyes, you’re not worth a single copper coin!” Wu Zhiqiu snorted, not falling for his act. She had seen enough of this in her past life; her eyes and ears automatically filtered it out this time!

“Mom!”

“Give me the money quickly, I’m in a hurry to get back to work!” Wu Zhiqiu didn’t want to waste words; she hadn’t taken leave when she came out.

“Mom, here’s twenty yuan. Go back first, I’ll go borrow some money this afternoon and try to get the full amount for you.” The eldest son pulled out twenty yuan from his pocket.

Wu Zhiqiu sneered. This was the first time in two lifetimes she had seen her eldest son’s money. She didn’t even look at the money in his hand and walked directly towards the gate.

Several gossiping colleagues had been eavesdropping nearby, and the security guard’s ears were also perked up.

Li Xingguo saw that his mother was serious, that she was really going to ask for an advance on his salary. That would make him the laughingstock of the entire unit.

“Mom, I’ll go get it for you now!”

Wu Zhiqiu stopped, staring coldly at her eldest son.

The eldest son took out his bankbook from his body. He had brought it from home this morning; he planned to go back to the countryside, and he didn’t have enough money on him, so he planned to withdraw some, and he had taken out the bankbook, but before he could withdraw, he was blocked by his mother!

Wu Zhiqiu’s eyes lit up. She thought he would have to go home to get it, but he actually had the bankbook on him.

She snatched the bankbook, it showed one thousand and fifty yuan.

Wu Zhiqiu looked at the numbers on the bankbook, feeling a pang of sadness. She and Li Mancang were burdened with debt, all to support this eldest son, but he was richer than she thought.

“I’m taking the bankbook! Consider the rest as your filial piety to us old folks!” Wu Zhiqiu said, grabbing the bankbook and the twenty yuan from her eldest son’s hand, and strode away, leaving the eldest son standing at the gate in a daze; there was over a thousand yuan in the bankbook!

The eldest son waved his hands, but Wu Zhiqiu pretended not to see.

Nowadays, bankbooks didn’t require ID cards or anything; you could just take the bankbook to the bank and withdraw directly.

Wu Zhiqiu quickly rushed to the nearest bank and withdrew all the money from the bankbook.

She wrapped it in old newspaper, took a bus, and returned to the recycling station!